{"id":701528,"date":"2026-05-29T12:29:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T12:29:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/701528\/"},"modified":"2026-05-29T12:29:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T12:29:11","slug":"scientists-say-exercise-may-be-the-closest-thing-to-a-parkinsons-medicine-yet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/701528\/","title":{"rendered":"Scientists Say Exercise May Be the Closest Thing to a Parkinson\u2019s \u201cMedicine\u201d Yet"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Parkinson's<\/a>Researchers are exploring how aerobic exercise may help slow Parkinson\u2019s disease by boosting protective brain chemicals and lowering inflammation. Credit: Shutterstock<\/p>\n

Regular aerobic exercise may reduce inflammation, support brain health, and help slow the progression of symptoms.<\/p>\n

With no known cure for Parkinson\u2019s disease, exercise has emerged as one of the most promising tools for helping slow the disease\u2019s progression.<\/p>\n

\u201cExercise may be more than just good for your general health, as it can actually help slow the progression of Parkinson\u2019s by reducing the brain inflammation at the root of the disease,\u201d said Merrill Landers, interim dean for UNLV\u2019s School of Integrated Health Sciences and a practicing physical therapist for the past 30 years.<\/p>\n

Parkinson\u2019s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder most often diagnosed between ages 55 and 65. It can affect movement, sleep, thinking, and even bladder control.<\/p>\n

For adults over 60, early signs such as a slight hand tremor, slower movement, or a reduced sense of smell may point to a more serious problem that should be evaluated.<\/p>\n

\u201cUntil a cure is found, one of the biggest goals in Parkinson\u2019s research is finding a treatment that can actually slow or stop the disease,\u201d Landers said. \u201cOne of the most promising candidates for slowing progression is aerobic exercise, which is the focus of my current research.\u201d<\/p>\n

Supported by research funding from the Cyrus Tang Foundation, Landers has spent decades caring for people with Parkinson\u2019s disease as a clinician. In his current work, Landers and a small group of students in UNLV\u2019s physical therapy department guide people with Parkinson\u2019s through aerobic exercise at different intensity levels. They also collect blood samples during these sessions to better understand which amounts and intensities of exercise may be most helpful for people living with the disease.<\/p>\n

\"Parkinson\u2019s<\/a>Without a known cure for Parkinson\u2019s disease, UNLV researchers are suggesting that exercise can play a critical role in slowing the progression of its symptoms. Credit: Josh Hawkins\/UNLVThe Importance (and Benefits!) of Exercise<\/p>\n

Landers said exercise works like \u201cfertilizer for the brain.\u201d It increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that helps neurons survive and grow.<\/p>\n

\u201cBDNF also dials down inflammation throughout the body and brain by triggering the release of anti-inflammatory signals from muscles and tissues during exercise,\u201d Landers said.<\/p>\n

Inflammation is an important part of immune defense, but too much of it can harm healthy tissue.<\/p>\n

In simple terms, inflammation can speed up neuron death, while more aerobic exercise can lower a person\u2019s baseline level of inflammation.<\/p>\n

The right intensity matters<\/p>\n

Landers recommends sustained aerobic activity of almost any kind, including treadmill walking, cycling, dancing, or another activity that raises the heart rate.<\/p>\n

He suggests a level that feels moderate but challenging. A person should be working hard enough to speak only in short sentences, but not so lightly that carrying on a full conversation feels easy. That target range, about 60% to 75% of maximum heart rate, appears to produce the largest rise in BDNF.<\/p>\n

\"Merrill<\/a>Merrill Landers, interim dean of UNLV\u2019s School of Integrated Health Sciences. Credit: Becca Schwartz\/UNLV<\/p>\n

\u201cYou want to be in this intensity zone so that you can sustain it over a relatively long time,\u201d he said. \u201cIf the exercise is too intense, you would not be able to do it long enough to get the boost in BDNF.\u201d<\/p>\n

Training can challenge balance too<\/p>\n

Brach Poston, a professor of kinesiology and nutrition sciences, said strength training, interval training, and boxing may also provide benefits. His research examines how noninvasive brain stimulation may improve motor skill learning in Parkinson\u2019s disease, aging, and young adults.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoxing involves more complex movements,\u201d he said. \u201cIt has an aerobic component and it has more interval training. It forces people to stand up, and it challenges their balance.\u201d<\/p>\n

When symptoms begin to disrupt everyday activities, people with Parkinson\u2019s disease are often advised to take Levodopa, a medication that helps increase dopamine levels in the brain.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor most people, it takes about six years after diagnosis before the symptoms get really bad,\u201d Poston said.<\/p>\n

More About Parkinson\u2019s Disease<\/p>\n

Actor Michael J. Fox helped bring Parkinson\u2019s disease into the public spotlight after revealing his diagnosis at age 29, an unusually early age for the condition. Now 64, Fox continues to live with Parkinson\u2019s and has spoken openly about dyskinesias, the uncontrolled, jerky movements that can develop as the disease progresses or after years of treatment. His advocacy has also fueled major investments in Parkinson\u2019s research through the Michael J. Fox Foundation, now one of the world\u2019s leading nonprofit funders of Parkinson\u2019s studies.<\/p>\n

\u201cBringing more attention to Parkinson\u2019s is a good thing,\u201d said Merrill Landers of UNLV\u2019s School of Integrated Health Sciences. \u201cIt not only brings more people into the conversation, but we hope it ultimately leads to more funding for research that could change lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Parkinson\u2019s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that disrupts communication between brain cells. It is best known for reducing dopamine, the chemical messenger responsible for coordinating movement, but the disease also affects other neurotransmitter systems involved in sleep, mood, digestion, and cognition.<\/p>\n

Parkinson\u2019s by the NumbersMost Parkinson\u2019s diagnoses occur between ages 55 and 65.About 1.1 million Americans are living with Parkinson\u2019s disease, with roughly 90,000 new diagnoses each year.Although it affects only around 1% of adults over age 60, Parkinson\u2019s is now considered the fastest-growing neurodegenerative disorder in the United States.Around 10% to 20% of patients are diagnosed before age 50, a condition known as early-onset Parkinson\u2019s disease.Diagnoses before age 40 are rare and account for only about 2% of cases.Younger patients often experience a longer disease course and face a greater risk of developing long-term movement complications such as dyskinesias.Early Symptoms and Disease ProgressionMany of the earliest warning signs appear years before the classic movement symptoms begin.Common early symptoms include constipation, R.E.M. sleep behavior disorder, depression, excessive daytime fatigue, and a reduced sense of smell.Research shows that 96% of newly diagnosed patients experienced changes in their sense of smell before receiving a diagnosis.Constipation and loss of smell frequently appear long before tremors or slowed movement become noticeable.By the time obvious motor symptoms develop, people with Parkinson\u2019s have often already lost about 70% of their dopamine-producing neurons.Parkinson\u2019s disease and Alzheimer\u2019s disease can both affect cognition and movement, but Parkinson\u2019s is generally associated more strongly with motor impairment, while Alzheimer\u2019s primarily affects memory and cognitive function.<\/p>\n

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